Picture-hanger



Patented Nov. 8, I898.

S. LORD.

PICTURE HANGER.

(Application filed Apr. 16, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

SIMEON LORD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PICTURE-HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,841, dated November8, 1898.

Application filed April 16, 1898- Serial No. 677,808. (No model.)

and it consists of an improved construction of drum and its adjunctsadapted to be attached to the back of a picture or frame and having thefree ends of the supporting-cord connected thereto, provision being madefor r 5 enabling the height of the picture or frame to be readilyadjusted without necessitating taking down the same, the exertion of aslight force upon said frame being sufficient to effeet the desiredadjustment.

It further consists of novel details of construction, all as will behereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

Figure 1 represents an elevation of the rear 2 5 of a frame havingattached thereto a hanger embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents, onan enlarged scale, a sectional view of the hanger employed, the sectionbeing taken on line ac to, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation ofFig. 2, a portion of the latter being shown in section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a 3 5 frame, the same havingattached thereto the eyes or guides B, through which pass theextremities O and D, respectively, of the cord E, by means of whichlatter the picture or frame is supported from the desired point.

F designates a bracket or hanger attached to the rear portion of theframe, in which is mounted the stationary pin or stud G, upon whichrotates the drum H, the rotation thereof in one direction being effectedby means of the coil or other spring L, which has one extremity thereofdeflected, as indicated at K, so as to engage theshoulders J of the studor stem G, while the other extremity M of said spring is deflected so asto engage the recess N of the ringor cylinder P, upon which latter theportions 0 and D of the cord E are wound. The cylinder P constitutes thedrum proper and is held between the ratchet-plate Q and the outer plateX, to which latter the extremi ties of the cord E are in the presentinstance attached. The ratchet-plate Q has in the periphery thereofrecesses R of anovel construction, from which latter extend theoutwardlyinclined or rectilinear surfaces S, from which latter extendthe rectilinear surfaces T,which meet the slightly-inclined wall T ofthe contiguous recess R.

U designates the nose of the pawl V,which latter has the inclined side Uadapted to contact with the wall T said pawl having projecting from thenose thereof the member W,which rests upon the inclined edge or surface8 of the ratchet-plate Q.

The operation is as follows: It will be apparent that by reason of themanner of the attachment and construction of the spring L the tendencyof the latter will be to cause the drum H to move in the direction ofthe arrow a, while the tendency of the weight of the picture or framewill be to cause the drum H to move in the direction of the arrow 1),(best seen in Fig. 1,)' wherefrom it will be evident that the normaltendency of the weight of the picture or frame will be to cause the noseU of the pawl V to engage its contiguous recess R and be interlockedtherewith,

whereby rotation of the drum is prevented and the picture held in thedesired position. When it is desired to adjust the height of the pictureor frame, the same is slightly raised, whereupon the nose U of the pawlV rides out of the recess R upon either of the surfaces T or S, sincethe drum is rotated by the spring therein in the direction of the arrowa, whereupon it will be evident that if it is desired to lower the framethe same is pulled downwardly, whereupon the drum will be rotated in thedirection of the arrow 6, and the nose U of the pawl will ride from thesurfaces S and T between a pair of recesses R onto the next inclinedsurface S, and so on until the picture is at the desired height, atwhich point the picture is held stationary and the rotation of the drumceases and the nose U engages the juxtaposed recess B, it being ofcourse apparent that the nose U readily leaves the recess S by reason ofthe contact of the inclined wall T with the side U of said nose.

If it is desired to raise the picture or frame, it will beapparent thaton lifting the same the weight thereof being removed from the cord orconnection E the spring L will tend to rotate the drum H in thedirection of the arrow a; but when the cord is sufficiently shortenedand the desired height is reached the rotation ceases and the weight ofthe frame will cause the nose of the pawl to interlock with the adjacentrecess as before.

It will thus be seen that by my invention I provide a simple andinexpensive appliance whereby the height of a picture or frame can bereadily adjusted according to requirements, the invention beingespecially useful in its application to heavy frames or pictures inwhich the adjustment thereof is ordinarily attended with more or lessdifliculty.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In a picture-hanger, the combination of a frame having guides thereon,through which are passed the extremities of a cord or other connectionadapted to support the picture, a drum rotatably mounted on a stationarystem or stud supported by said frame, a coil or other spring common tosaid drum and stem and a ratchet-plate attached to said drum having inthe edges thereof recesses R each of which is provided with the inclinedwall T from which extend the rectilinear surface T and the inclinedsurface S, in combination with the pawl V pivotally supported the latterhaving the nose U adapted to enter said recesses R and an inclinedforwardly-projecting portion WV, adapted to rest upon said surface S,the rear wall U of said nose being inclined and adapted to contact withsaid side wall T SIMEQN LORD.

Vitnesses:

JOHN A. Wrnnnnsnnm, E. HAYWARD FAIRBANKS.

